Summary of Brick Lane
Nazneen is a Bangladeshi woman who is only eighteen when she arrives in London to marry Chanu, a man twice her age, in an arranged marriage. She speaks very little English and struggles to adapt to her new life, her marriage, and the unfamiliar surroundings of London’s East End. Gradually, however, she finds her footing: she raises her children and eventually becomes the family’s main breadwinner through home-based sewing work. When she falls in love with another man and her husband decides that the family should return to Bangladesh, Nazneen shows that she is no longer the naïve, fate-abiding woman she once was.
Reasons to read Brick Lane
“Brick Lane” is the debut novel of British author Monica Ali. The novel became a bestseller and was widely praised for its vivid characterisation and its insight into the Bangladeshi community in London around the turn of the millennium. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. While the book also prompted discussion within the British Bangladeshi community about questions of representation, it remains an influential and much-read work of fiction. “Brick Lane” was adapted into a film in 2007.
Setting: London (England, UK)
Brick Lane is a real street in London’s East End, in the borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is known for its vibrant Bangladeshi community.
Original title: Brick Lane
Year of publication: 2003
Nr of pages: 432
